Hit  Htgfjtimp 

oA  main  street 


A  distinctive  feature  of  Lee  Highway  is  its  moun¬ 
tain  scenery,  there  being  more  miles  of  such  landscape 
on  this  than  on  any  other  transcontinental  route. 

Thirty  minutes  out  of  Washington,  one  sees  Bull 
Run  Mountains,  thence  almost  to  Muscle  Shoals, 
Alabama,  the  Appalachians  unfold  their  beauty  and 
grandeur. 

Crossing  Arkansas,  the  Ozarks  are  traversed  and 
variety  is  given  to  the  table  lands  of  western  Okla¬ 
homa  by  the  Wichita  Mountains. 

Between  Clovis  and  Roswell,  New  Mexico,  the  blue 
peaks  of  the  Capitans  and  the  White  Mountains 
loom  up  on  the  Western  Horizon.  Thence  mountains 
are  always  in  the  picture  until  the  last  ramparts  are 
left  behind  and  the  long,  long  trail  takes  one  across  the 
Fd  Cajon  Valley  (view  on  left)  to  San  Diego  and  all 
the  delights  of  California. 


The  extension  of 

Pennsylvania  Avenue 
Washington,  D.  C.,  to  connect  with  the  pavements  of  California  at  San  Diego 

A  Story  of  National  Progress 


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The  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  Washington  Route 

The  Luray  Caverns,  Lexington  and  Natural  Bridge  Route 

The  Roanoke,  Bristol,  Kingsport,  Knoxville  and  Chattanooga  Route 

The  Muscle  Shoals  Route 
The  Memphis,  Little  Rock  and  Hot  Springs  Route 
The  Red  River  and  “  Staked  Plains  ”  Route 
The  Clovis,  Roswell,  White  Mountain  and  El  Paso  Route 
The  Las  Cruces,  Deming,  Lordsburg  and  Globe  Route 
The  Roosevelt  Dam  and  Apache  Trail  Route 
The  Phoenix,  Yuma  and  San  Diego  Route 
The  Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco  Route 


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OF  THE 
NATION 


Relief  Map  of  North  America,  Showing  Some  of  the 

MAIN  STREETS  OF  THE  NATION 

By  Florence  C.  Fox,  Specialist  in  Educational  Systems 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Used  in  teaching  Highways  in  the  Public  Schools 

A  beginning  has  been  made  in  highway  instruction,  the  subjects  being  “  Lincoln  Highway,”  “  Lee 
Highway,”  the  “  Dixie  Highway,”  and  “Old  Spanish  Trails.”  The  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education  will 
soon  issue  a  bulletin  to  be  sent  to  the  state  and  county  superintendents,  to  teachers,  and  to  state 
normal  and  other  training  schools,  explaining  the  method  of  instruction. 


Southern  PamnMPts 

*ar.  E  ,k  Cc!-  ion 

UNC-Chapu  1*14 


Views  Along  Lee  Highway  from  Washington,  D.  C.,  to 

San  Diego,  California 

Arranged  in  their  order  as  seen  in  an  automobile  trip  over  Lee  Highway  from  the  National  Capital  through  the 
South  and  Southwest  to  the  Pacific  coast,  the  views  contained  herein  are  designed  to  convey  some  slight  idea  of  the 
remarkable  progress  made  in  road  construction,  together  with  the  varied  attractions  which  the  region  traversed  offers 
to  the  tourist,  the  home-seeker  and  the  investor.  The  scope  of  the  work  has  been  limited  by  the  difficulty  of  securing 
photographs,  as  well  as  the  limits  of  space.  The  material  is  of  such  richness  and  abundance  that  anything  like  an 
adequate  portrayal  would  fill  volumes.  Other  editions  will  follow  in  due  season  with  illustrations  of  sections  which 
could  not  be  included  in  this  issue. 


Granite  Monument  erected  by  Lee  Highway  Association  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Starting  point  of 
Lee  Highway  and  all  other  national  routes  radiating  from  the  Capital,  showing  north  face 
of  Monument — Washington  Monument  in  background. 


Published  by  the  Lee  Highway  Association ,  Munsey  Building ,  Id  ashington ,  D.  C. 

[1] 


View  of  Zero  Milestone,  showing  inscription  on  south  face. 


White  House  in  background. 


“I  will  thank  you  to  convey  my  most  cordial  greetings  to  the  members  of  your  Association  and  wish  for  them 
renewed  confidence  and  assurance  in  carrying  out  the  great,  helpful  work  for  which  the  Association  has  been  organized.” 

{Signed)  Warren  G.  Harding 


1  he  brands  Scott  Key  Bridge,  named  in  honor  of  the  author  of  “  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,”  who  lived  near  the  north  end  of  the  Bridge 
in  Georgetown.  Y  iew  is  from  the  Virginia  side,  Georgetown  in  the  background,  Georgetown  University  in  center.  Lee  Highway 
crosses  the  Potomac  River  on  this  bridge.  Roadway  of  bridge  85  feet  above  mean  low  water  at  central  span.  Bridge  is  70  feet  wide 
and  2700  feet  long.  Cost  £2, 350, 000.  Opened  to  traffic,  January  17,  1923. 


[2] 


VIEWS  ALONG  LEE  HIGHWAY 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. — BRISTOL,  VA.-TENN.  SECTION 


The  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  in  February,  1922, 
established  Lee  Highway  across  the  Commonwealth,  a 
distance  of  about  400  miles,  as  Virginia’s  part  in  a  national 
memorial  to  General  Robert  E.  Lee. 

Lee  Highway  is  paved  from  Washington,  D.  C.,  several 
miles  southwestward  into  Virginia.  The  road  designated 
as  Lee  Highway  from  Falls  Church  to  Fairfax  Courthouse 
was  surveyed  by  George  Washington  and  is  still  in  condi¬ 
tion  shown  in  view  on  the  left.  Last  summer  the  Lee 
Highway  Association  led  the  movement  which  resulted  in 
a  bond  issue  of  $275,000,  with  the  proceeds  of  which  this 
gap  will  be  closed  with  an  18-foot  concrete  road. 


L'lirfiY  Courthouse  17  miles  from  Washington.  Monument  to  first  Confederate  soldier  to  fall  in  the  War  between  the  States.  Courthouse 
1  airtax  Gourtnouse,  dating  fr<fm  Colonial  times,  with  will  of  George  and  Martha  Washington. 

[3] 


Lee  Highway  crossing  Bull  Run  over  old  stone  bridge  27.06  miles  from  Washington;  beginning  of  Manassas  battle  fields,  scene  of  fierce 

fighting  at  First  Battle  of  Manassas,  opening  of  the  War  between  the  States. 


It  is  surprising  that  the  Federal  Government,  which  has  spent  money  with  lavish  hand  on  roads  and  monuments 
to  develop  Gettysburg  and  the  battlefields  around  Chattanooga  as  National  Military  Parks,  should  have  neglected 
the  Bull  Run  Battlefields,  also  known  as  the  Manassas  Battlefields,  which  are  in  close  proximity  to  the  National 
Capital  and  which  mark  the  dramatic  opening  of  the  War.  Lee  Highway,  by  rendering  these  battlefields  accessible 
from  Washington,  will  hasten  their  development. 


Lee  Highway  nearing  Warrenton,  about  45  miles  from  Wash¬ 
ington. 


The  Rappahannock  River,  54  miles  from  Washington. 


[4] 


Grist  Mill,  79  miles  from  Washington. 


Lee  Highway  crossing  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  at  Thornton’s  Gap. 


Two  hours’  ride  from  Washington  brings  one  to  the  Blue 
Ridge  Mountains.  The  highway  passes  some  of  the  finest 
old  Virginia  estates,  some  of  which  are  still  occupied  by 
the  descendants  of  the  original  owners  as  far  back  as  1750. 

A  short  side-trip  from  Luray  leads  to  Skyland,  where 
many  residents  of  New  York,  Baltimore  and  Washington 
have  summer  homes,  or  enjoy  the  accommodations  of  a 
first-class  hotel  and  the  other  accessories  of  a  recreational 
character. 

Rappahannock  County,  Virginia,  which  Lee  Highway 
enters  several  miles  southwest  of  Warrenton,  has  not  a 
single  mile  of  railway,  yet  it  has  commercial  orchards 
and  many  of  the  raw  materials  of  wealth.  Citizens  of 
this  county  are  among  the  most  active  supporters  of  Lee 
Highway  Association,  for  they  realize  that  this  road  means 
quite  as  much  for  their  development  as  a  railway.  Survey 
across  the  county  is  almost  completed,  and  convict  labor 
is  now  constructing  the  road. 

The  owners  of  some  of  the  fine  old  Virginia  estates 
are  cooperating  with  the  Association  in  the  plan  to 
beautify  this  part  of  the  highway. 


gt 


Lee  Highway  following  a  beautiful  valley  leading  to  Luray. 


5] 


A  chamber  in  Luray  Caverns,  the  most  extensive  and  beautifully  colored  grottoes  in  the  world.  They  were  viewed  at  one  time  by  over  5000  excur¬ 
sionists  from  Philadelphia.  Electrically  lighted  and  traversed  without  discomfort  or  the  soiling  of  clothing. 


The  South  Shenandoah  River. 


Lee  Highway  between  Harrisonburg  and  Staunton.  A  section 
of  the  famous  Valley  Pike  which  was  constructed  many  years 
ago  connectingWinchester  with  Staunton,  a  distance  of  93  miles. 


It  is  an  old  saying  that  “One  good  road  breeds  another.’’  The  “Valley  Pike’’  was  laid  out  by  Crozet,  one  of 
Napoleon’s  engineers,  who,  escaping  from  Waterloo,  came  to  America.  Built  as  a  toll-road,  it  was  taken  over  a  few 
years  ago  as  a  State  Highway  and  the  toll-gates  removed.  It  was  the  strong  desire  of  the  Lexington  men  to  have  this 
road  extended  southwest  to  their  city  and  on  to  Roanoke  and  Tennessee  that  caused  them  to  take  the  lead  in  organizing 
Lee  Highway  Association. 


[6] 


Lee  Highway  near  Staunton,  Virginia,  with  view  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia. 

A  lateral  of  Lee  Highway  runs  from  Staunton  to  Hot  Springs  and  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Virginia,  two  of  the 
most  popular  resorts  in  the  world. 


Old  blacksmith  shop  four-fifths  of  a  mile  from  Lee  Highway 
between  Staunton  and  Lexington,  Virginia,  where  Cyrus  H. 
McCormick  made  the  first  reaping  machine.  Historic  buildings 
like  this  are  rapidly  disappearing.  Lee  Highway  Association 
has  undertaken  the  work  of  preservation  and  marking  of  such. 


The  house  in  which  Sam  Houston  of  Texas  fame  was  born,  on  Lee 
Highway  near  Lexington,  Virginia. 


View  of  old  main  building,  Washington  and  Lee  University,  Lexington,  Va. 


General  Lee  became  President  of  Washington  College  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  when  the  name  was  changed  to 
Washington  and  Lee  University.  During  the  five  remaining  years  of  his  life  he  laid  the  foundation,  deep  and  strong, 
of  one  of  the  best  institutions  of  education  in  the  country.  The  mausoleum  is  in  the  rear  of  the  University  Chapel 
behind  the  altar. 


The  Natural  Bridge  is  located  in  the  Divide  which 
separates  the  headwaters  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  flowing 
northward  along  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  and  the  James 
River.  A  titanic  limestone  arch,  215  feet  high,  100  feet 
wide,  and  90  feet  in  span,  provides  a  natural  passage¬ 
way  over  the  tumultuous  waters  of  Cedar  Creek.  Were 
the  Statue  of  Liberty  in  New  York  harbor  to  be  placed 
under  it,  pedestal  and  all,  there  would  still  be  70  feet  to 
spare. 

The  Bridge  is  not  the  only  factor  in  making  this  one  of 
the  leading  recreational  areas  along  Lee  Highway.  Hunt¬ 
ing,  fishing,  the  beauty  of  the  mountains,  the  coolness  of 
summer  days  and  nights  and  the  facilities  of  a  first  class 
Hotel  at  the  Bridge  combine  to  explain  the  popularity  of 
this  Resort. 


A  few  miles  south  of  Natural  Bridge,  Lee  Highway  crosses  the 

James  River. 


Natural  Bridge,  Virginia. 


[8] 


General  Robert  Edward  Lee,  1807-1870 

The  military  genius  and  the  strength  and  nobility  of  character  of  Lee  have  long  been  rightly  appraised,  but  only 
now  is  it  entering  into  the  general  consciousness  that  the  greatest  Lee  was  Lee  the  civilian,  Lee  of  Lexington. 

In  the  autumn  of  1865,  General  Lee  removed  to  Lexington  and  assumed  the  Presidency  of  Washington  and  Lee 
University.  Lrom  that  day  to  the  end,  in  1870,  he  devoted  an  almost  superhuman  power  of  leadership  to  the  lofty 
task  of  restoring  the  Union.  To  a  mother  he  said,  “Recollect  that  we  form  One  Country  now,  lay  aside  bitterness 
and  make  your  sons  Americans.’’  By  his  example  and  counsel  he  set  the  South  on  the  course  that  led  straight  to  the 
results  shown  in  the  Spanish  and  in  the  World  wars.  A  nation  rejoicing  that  the  wounds  are  healed  and  the  land 
reunited  may  well  build  a  memorial  to  the  one  who  made  this  splendid  contribution  to  the  national  unity. 


19] 


Lee  Highway  leaving  Roanoke.  Roanoke  is  the  metropolis  of  southwest  Virginia  and  the  fourth  largest  city  in  the  State.  It  is  the  location 
of  the  general  offices  of  the  Norfolk  &  Western  Railway  and  the  Gateway  to  the  largest  soft-coal  field  in  the  world.  It  enjoys  the  dis¬ 
tinction  of  being  the  place  where  Lee  Highway  Association  was  organized,  whose  early  activities  were  financed  principally  by  citizens 
of  the  city.  It  was  headquarters  of  the  Association  during  the  Presidency  of  D.  D.  Hull,  Jr.,  who  resides  in  Roanoke. 


Lee  Highway, is  the  main  street  of  Wytheville,  Virginia.  The  resi¬ 
dence  of  E.'Lee  Trinkle,  the  Governor  of  Virginia  and  one  of  the 
founders  of  Lee  Highway  Association,  fronts  on  this  street. 
The  pavement  is  asphalt,  60  feet  in  width.  Lee  Highway  at  this 
point  attainsja  greater  width  than  at  any  other  point  between 
Washington  and  Chattanooga. 


The  Upper  Waters  of  the  Holston  River. 


A  few  miles  from  Wytheville  Lee  Highway  reaches 
to  Knoxville  where  the  Holston  becomes  the  Tennessee, 
western  Alabama,  a  distance  of  several  hundred  miles. 


Lee  Highway  through  Abingdon,  Virginia — wide,  well-paved 
and  beautifully  shaded. 


Abingdon  is  the  seat  of  Martha  Washington  Seminary. 
The  entire  region  is  one  of  the  greatest  historic  interest, 
the  settlement  of  the  country  dating  from  Colonial  times 
and  the  pioneers  in  their  search  for  homes,  having  followed 
down  the  old  historic  road  which  has  now  resumed  its 
place  of  importance  in  the  national  life  as  Lee  Highway. 


the  upper  waters  of  the  Holston  River,  which  stream  it  follows 
Lee  Highway  follows  the  Tennessee  from  Knoxville  to  north- 


[10] 


Almost  all  of  Lee  Highway  from  Radford  to  Bristol,  a  distance  of  about  133  miles,  is  either  paved  like  the  above,  in  Washington  County,  or 

let  to  contract. 


When,  in  July,  1922,  the  President  of  Lee  Highway  Association  and  also  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  U.  S. 
Department  of  Commerce  was  sent  to  Asia  on  Government  business,  Henry  Roberts,  of  Bristol,  Va.-Tenn.,  was  chosen 
President.  The  reason  for  the  choice  is  revealed  by  the  fact  that,  due  to  his  leadership,  there  are  more  miles  of  modern 
highway  radiating  from  Bristol  than  from  any  other  city  of  its  size  in  the  country. 


Lee  Highway  approaching  Bristol,  Va.-Tenn. 


[HI 


BRISTOL  TO  MEMPHIS  SECTION  OF  LEE  HIGHWAY 


Kingsport,  Tenn.  Adjacent  the  greatest  soft-coal  field  in  the  world,  New  York  capital  has  created  here  a  splendid  modern  city,  noted  for 

its  co-operative  spirit  and  progressiveness. 


Its  advantages  as  a  manufacturing  center  are  apparent  from  the  fact  that  the  Simmons  Hardware  Company  of 
.  Louis,  the  Eastman  Kodak  Company  of  Rochester  and  many  similar  organizations  have  established  plants  at 
ngsport. 


A  busy  corner  in  Kingsport,  Ienn.,  showing  plants  of  the  Clinchfield  Portland  Cement  Corporation,  Meade  Fibre  Company  and  Gra 
Leather  Corporation,  at  Kingsport.  In  middle  distance  is  route  of  Lee  Highway,  while  dimly  in  background  is  seen  Clinch  Mountain 


Largest  elm  tree  in  the  world,  on  Lee  Highway  at  the  confluence  of  the  north  and  south  forks  of  the  Holston  River,  a  few  miles  from  Kings¬ 
port,  Tenn.  This  tree  is  described  by  the  first  Europeans  to  visit  the  region. 


No.  1.  Lee  Highway  from  Kingsport  to  Tate  Springs,  Tenn., 
50  miles,  costing  $1,250,000,  the  largest  project  in  Tennessee. 


No.  3.  Most  of  the  50  miles  is  completed,  the  completion  of  the 
last  gap  to  be  celebrated  next  summer.  Easy  detours  provided. 


A  country  home  on  Lee  Highway  between  Kingsport  and 

Tate  Springs. 


No.  2.  Second  stage  of  construction  on  Kingsport-Tate 
Springs  section  of  Lee  Highway 


[  13] 


Tate  Springs  Hotel  in  the  heart  of  the  East  Tennessee  mountains.  Wonderful  medicinal  springs,  for  many  years  a  famous  resort. 


Golf  links  at  Tate  Springs,  with  view  of  mountains  and  valley.  Typical  of  valley  and  mountain  scenery  traversed  by  Lee  Highway  for  600 

miles  across  Virginia  and  Tennessee. 


With  the  completion  of  the  Kingsport-Tate  Springs 
project  in  July,  1923,  Lee  Highway  will  be  all  modern  or 
waterbound  macadam  from  Bristol  to  Knoxville.  Re¬ 
placement  with  hard-surfacing  from  Bristol  to  Knoxville 
is  on  the  1923  program. 


Summer  home  of  the  Hon.  Oscar  W.  Underwood,  U.  S.  Senator 
from  Alabama,  at  Tate  Springs,  Tenn. 


[14J 


KNOXVILLE,  TENNESSEE 

Knoxville  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  second  city  of  the  United  States  in  percentage  of  growth  of  population, 
as  revealed  by  the  census  of  1920. 

Knoxville  marble  has  made  Knoxville  known  nationally.  The  Aluminum  Company  of  America  has  its  plant  at 
Maryville,  a  near  suburb.  Zinc  is  produced  in  large  quantities.  The  manufacture  of  cotton  goods  is  a  principal 
industry. 

Knoxville  is  a  hub  city  in  the  motor  world.  The  Dixie  Highway  affords  access  to  Asheville,  N.  C.,  and  points 
beyond,  also  to  Cincinnati  and  Chattanooga.  The  Memphis  to  Bristol  Highway  affords  a  direct  line  to  Nashville, 
Jackson  and  Memphis,  Tenn.  Other  roads  extend  in  every  direction  to  all  centers  of  population  and  to  many  popular 
resorts. 


Airplane  view  of  Knoxville,  Tennessee. 


Four  prime  elements  of  natural  beauty  are  timber,  mountains,  rivers  and  lakes.  All  these  elements  are  found  in 
the  highlands  traversed  by  Lee  Highway  from  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  with  the  exception  of  lakes. 
The  charm  of  the  Appalachian  forests  consists  in  the  fact  that  conifers  are  interspersed  with  the  hardwoods. 

The  plans  for  the  improvement  of  the  Tennessee  River  call  for  the  construction  of  a  series  of  dams  which  will  hold 
back  the  flood  waters,  create  electrical  current  and  at  the  same  time  lakes  of  vast  extent.  When  these  large  bodies  of 
water  are  added  to  the  other  features  of  the  landscape  every  element  of  natural  beauty  will  be  found  in  this  recreational 
area  When  these  improvements  have  been  made  resort  hotels  will  be  built  along  the  margin  of  these  bodies  of  water. 
All  the  facilities  of  recreational  life  will  be  added  and  the  entire  region  will  become  a  vast  playground. 


[15] 


Scene  showing  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  landscape  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville,  Tennessee. 


n  its  course  from  Knoxville  to  Chattanooga  Lee  Highway  traverses  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  sections  in  the 
wor  d,  being  the  Tennessee  Valley  with  its  tributaries,  the  little  Tennessee  and  the  Hiwassee.  The  towns  en  route  are 
enoir  City,  Louden,  Sweetwater,  Athens,  Charleston,  Cleveland  and  Ooltewah.  At  Louden  the  Tennessee  River  is 
crossed  by  ferry,  the  Lee  Highway  program  calling  for  the  construction  of  a  bridge  costing  a  third  of  a  million  dollars. 

On  the  heights  neai  the  southern  end  of  the  railway  bridge  at  Louden  may  be  seen  the  remains  of  old  Ft.  Louden, 
earning  one  back  to  the  period  when  the  white  settlers  were  endeavoring  to  secure  a  foothold  in  the  land  of  the  Indians. 


Lee  Highway  leaving  Knoxville  for  Chattanooga.  Base  rock  marble  in  some  sections. 


Lee  Highway  near  Athens,  Tennessee. 


Section  of  Lee  Highway  between  Athens  and  Cleveland, 
Tennessee.  Built  of  concrete. 


The  closing  of  the  gap  between  Knoxville  and  Chatta¬ 
nooga  has  been  delayed,  due  to  a  combination  of  circum¬ 
stances.  Now,  however,  plans  are  progressing  for  the 
Louden  bridge  and  favorable  action  by  the  Legislature 
now  in  session  (January,  1923)  on  the  State  Highway 
Bonds  will  result  in  the  early  completion  of  this  section. 


Lee  Highway  entering  Cleveland,  Tennessee,  the  largest  city  between 
Knoxville  and  Chattanooga, 


[17] 


Chattanoooga,  Tennessee,  is  the  third  of  the  large  cities  on  Lee  Highway  between  Washington  and  Memphis,  the  others  being  Roanoke  and  Knoxville. 
The  combination  of  river  and  mountain  scenery  together  with  its  surpassing  historic  interest  and  its  excellent  hotel  accommodations,  make 
Chattanooga  one  of  the  leading  Lee  Highway  cities. 


The  original  plan  for  Lee  Highway  involved  its  location  from  Chattanooga  to  New  Orleans,  thence  by  south  Texas 
to  El  Paso  and  California.  Insuperable  difficultiesjwere  encountered,  compelling  modification  of  the  plan  and  location 
by  way  of  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  southern  Oklahoma  to  El  Paso,  Texas.  However,  the  road  from  Chattanooga  by 
Gadsden,  Birmingham  and  Meridian  to  New  Orleans  is  a  matter  of  deep  interest  to  Lee  Highway  Association,  inasmuch 
as,  combined  with  Lee  Highway,  it  is  the  direct  line  of  travel  between  New  York  City  and  New  Orleans. 

At  Chattanooga,  Lee  Highway  Connects  with  the  Dixie  Highway  to  points  in  the  north  and  all  points  reached  by 
the  Dixie  in  Florida,  and  the  Gulf  States. 


Lee  Highway  (also  the  Dixie  Highway)  crossing  Walden’s  Bridge  between  Chattanooga  and  South  Pittsburg,  Tennessee. 

[18] 


The  Island,  Tennessee  River,  from  Signal  Mountain,  Chattanooga,  Tennessee. 


Lee  Highway  (also  the  Dixie  Highway)  following  down  the  Tennessee  towards  South  Pittsburg. 


This  booklet  gives  fuller  treatment  to  the  road  from  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  South  Pittsburg,  Tennessee,  than  from 
South  Pittsburg  onward  to  San  Diego,  California.  Some  of  the  sections  between  Washington  and  South  Pittsburg 
are  not  illustrated  because  of  the  inability  to  secure  photographs. 

The  Alabama,  Mississippi  and  southwest  Tennessee  sections  and  the  trans-Mississippi  section  have  only  recently 
been  located,  consequently  there  has  not  been  time  to  secure  illustrative  material. 


[19] 


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[20] 


The  Mississippi  section  of  Lee  Highway,  only  about  40  miles  in  length,  crosses  the  northeast  corner  of  the  State. 
The  two  principal  cities  are  Iuka,  the  county  seat  of  Tishomingo  County,  and  Corinth,  the  county  seat  of  Alcorn  County. 

At  Corinth,  Lee  Highway  connects  with  the  Mississippi  Valley  Highway  to  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis,  etc. 


Lee  Highway  near  Corinth,  Mississippi. 


De  Soto  Mound,  Memphis,  Tennessee.  From  this  mound,  De  Soto  got 
his  first  view  of  the  mighty  Mississippi.  Memphis,  Tennessee,  is  the 
largest  city  on  Lee  Highway  from  Washington  to  San  Diego.  It  is  a 
great  cotton  market,  and  being  a  point  where  all  the  forms  of  trans¬ 
portation,  by  water,  by  rail,  by  highway,  and  by  airplane  meet,  and 
being  the  metropolis  of  a  vast  region  in  which  development  has  only 
begun,  it  is  destined  to  witness  a  progressively  rapid  growth. 


[21] 


Headed  for  Memphis  over  Lee  Highway. 


Memphis  is  a  point  of  great  importance  for  highway  transportation,  inasmuch  as  at  Memphis  is  located  a  free  to 
team  and  automobile  traffic  bridge,  there  being  no  other  highway  bridge  spanning  the  Mississippi  in  its  course  to  the 
Gulf. 


Memphis  water-front. 


At  one  time  the  Mississippi  was  a  main  factor  in  transportation.  River  traffic,  however,  declined  with  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  railway  transportation.  Recently  the  growth  of  the  country  has  exceeded  the  ability  of  the  railway  companies 
to  furnish  adequate  facilities  of  transportation.  Necessity  has  compelled  an  increasing  use  of  the  waterways.  It  is  an 
actual  fact  that  freight  is  now  moving  a  greater  number  of  miles  per  day  on  the  average  on  the  Mississippi  than  it  is  on 
the  railways  of  the  country. 

The  Highways  Division  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Memphis  under  the  able  direction  of  Thos.  B.  King,  its 
manager  and  our  General  Vice  President,  furnishes  touring  information  to  the  rapidly  increasing  number  of  tourists. 
With  the  completion  of  Lee  Highway,  the  Bankhead,  and  other  important  roads  into  Memphis,  this  will  be  one  of  the 
leading  auto-tourist  centres  of  the  United  States. 


View  of  the  bridge  and  Memphis  from  the  Arkansas  side  of  the  Mississippi. 


Lee  Highway  has  been  designated  from  Memphis  across  Arkansas,  through  Little  Rock,  Hot  Springs  and  DeQueen. 
Intermediate  points  have  not  yet  been  determined.  Lee  Highway  enters  Oklahoma  at  Ultima  Thule,  west  of  DeQueen, 
Arkansas.  It  follows  up  the  famous  Red  River  Valley  through  the  county  seats  of  Idabel,  Hugo,  Durant, 
Madill,  Ardmore,  Duncan,  Lawton  and  Frederick.  Most  of  the  mileage  of  the  road  to  Durant  has  been  completed 
and  looks  like  a  railroad  grade.  It  is  unfortunate  that  it  has  not  been  possible  to  secure  photographs  showing  this 
long  stretch  of  finished  highway. 

It  has  been  necessary  to  route  Lee  Highway  over  roads  which,  in  certain  sections,  had  been  designated  as  parts  of 
other  highways.  I  his  has  been  necessary  between  Little  Rock  and  Hot  Springs,  this  road  having  been  the  Southern 
National  Highway  and  later  having  been  designated  by  the  Bankhead  National  Highway  Association  as  a  part  of  its 
route.  I  here  can  be  no  proper  objection  to  such  an  arrangement,  however,  inasmuch  as  communities  are  entitled  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  service  of  the  national  road  organizations  which  reach  them  through  different  territories,  since 
these  organizations  command  the  means  of  national  publicity  and  are  in  a  position  to  help  build  the  interested  com¬ 
munities  by  directing  travel  and  giving  national  publicity  to  the  inducements  which  the  community  has  to  offer  to  the 
health-seeker,  the  home-seeker  and  the  investor. 


[22] 


THE  MEMPHIS  TO  EL  PASO  SECTION  OF  LEE  HIGHWAY 


Road  leading  from  the  bridge  across  the  Mississippi  to  Marion,  Arkansas,  county  seat  of  Crittenden  County,  the  first  county  to  be  traversed  west 

of  the  Mississippi. 


Carlisle-Lonoke  road,  Arkansas. 


[23] 


Specimen  of  roads  Arkansas  is  building,  in  vicinity  of  Little  Rock. 


Highway  in  vicinity  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas. 


Although  handicapped  by  the  Constitution,  which  pre¬ 
vents  the  State  from  issuing  bonds,  Arkansas,  with  federal 
aid  and  funds  derived  from  bonding  districts  and  other 
sources  has  made  great  progress  in  road  construction. 
No  State  has  more  to  gain  from  a  completed  system  of 
modern  highways.  Experience  will  point  the  way  to 
such  revisions  of  law  and  policy  as  may  be  necessary. 


Lee  Highway  in  Oklahoma  traverses  the  Red  River 
valley,  one  of  the  newest  and  most  rapidly  developing 
parts  of  the  United  States.  The  trip  up  the  valley,  and 
indeed  all  the  way  to  California,  is  one  of  the  deepest 
interest  because  one  sees  the  United  States  in  the  making. 
The  zone  traversed  was  the  old  Indian  Territory  and  tour¬ 
ists  come  in  contact  with  the  various  interesting  phases 
of  Indian  life. 


Travelling  over  Lee  Highway  as  one  enters  Ardmore, 
one  sees  the  oil  derricks  on  the  right,  reminding  one  that 
here  is  one  of  the  greatest  oil  fields  in  the  country. 


Lee  Highway  approaching  Ardmore,  Oklahoma. 


Airplane  view 


of  Ardmore,  the  largest  city  in  the  Oklahoma  section  of  Lee  Highway. 


[25] 


Fort  Sill,  Oklahoma,  where  artillery  officers,  United  States  Army,  are  trained. 

Guard,  July,  1922. 


In  the  foreground,  encampment  Oklahoma  National 


Lawton,  Oklahoma,  where  Lee  Highway  turns  southwest  toward  Vernon,  Texas. 


[26] 


Consolidated  and  vocational  school  near  Waurika,  Oklahoma. 
(On  lines  similar  to  the  Tillman  County  School.) 


One  of  the  surprises  of  the  trip  across  the  newer  States 
of  the  West  is  the  size  and  character  of  the  public  buildings, 
especially  the  school  buildings.  Where  but  yesterday 
was  the  frontier  of  civilization  may  now  be  seen  modern 
educational  plants,  not  surpassed  in  equipment  and  cur¬ 
riculum  by  similar  schools  in  the  older  commonwealths. 


The  Vocational  work  given  in  the  Tillman  County 
school  is  varied.  The  boys  learn  wood  work,  blacksmith- 
ing,  soldering,  plumbing,  leather  work,  farm  carpentry, 
and  car  repair  work.  A  number  of  times  they  have 
formed  stock  judging  teams,  have  vaccinated  the  hogs  of 
their  community,  and  done  other  practical  and  useful 
work.  The  girls  learn  to  cook,  sew,  mend,  and  every 
useful  thing  connected  with  home  keeping.  Not  a  girl 
in  the  High  School  but  can  serve  a  meal  in  the  best  fashion 
and  most  of  them  can  make  and  trim  their  own  hats,  make 
their  own  dresses  and  do  any  one  of  the  many  things  the 
modern  housekeeper  can  do. 


Consolidated  and  vocational  school  six  miles  from  Frederick,  Okla¬ 
homa,  Tillman  County 


This  modern  school  is  located  twelve  miles  from  Freder¬ 
ick,  and  is  six  miles  from  the  nearest  railroad  point.  It 
is  the  center  of  all  community  work.  The  community 
boasts  of  a  Farmers’  Union,  Parent-Teachers  Associa¬ 
tion,  athletic  contests  equal  to  any  in  the  county,  boys  and 
girls  clubs  that  in  one  year  took  $800  prizes  at  the  County 
Fair. 


Lee  Highway  between  Crowell  and  Paducah,  Texas.  Graded 
earth  road,  dragged  after  rain. 


The  Texas  section  of  Lee  Highway  traverses  nine 
counties,  through  the  following  county  seats:  Vernon, 
Crowell,  Paducah,  Matador,  Floydada,  Plainview,  Olton, 
Muleshoe,  and  Farwell  on  the  Texas-New  Mexico  line. 
Leaving  the  agricultural  land  west  of  Vernon,  the  brakes 
are  entered,  a  rolling  country  with  a  gravelly  soil,  and 
west  of  Matador  the  highway  ascends  the  Cap  Rock  by 
easy  grades  and  enters  “Llano  Estacada,”  the  “Staked 
Plains.”  The  “Staked  Plains”  is  as  level  as  a  floor,  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  across  from  east  to  west,  and 
a  similar  distance  from  north  to  south.  It  is  treeless, 
except  as  trees  have  been  planted.  It  has  no  rivers.  At 
frequent  intervals  there  are  depressions,  which  during  the 
rainy  season  become  shallow  lakes.  The  soil  is  rich,  and 
water  in  abundance  is  found  at  such  depth  as  to  make 
irrigation  by  pumping  profitable.  The  entire  region  is 


new.  Originally  it  was  the  home  of  vast  herds  of  buffalo, 
then  it  became  the  country  of  the  great  cattle  ranches  of 
the  Southwest.  Today  these  are  giving  way  to  agriculture. 

Lee  Highway,  connecting  the  centers  of  population  not 
connected  by  railway,  will  aid  materially  in  the  develop¬ 
ment.  The  rainfall  is  scanty,  and  there  are  natural  good 
roads  everywhere. 

There  is  not  a  serious  grade  on  Lee  Highway  across  the 
States  of  Oklahoma,  Texas  and  New  Mexico  to  Globe, 
Arizona,  a  condition  that  exists  along  the  entire  route 
across  the  continent. 


Section  of  Lee  Highway  near  Paducah,  Texas,  showing  a  good 
road  upon  which  no  work,  either  of  construction  or  mainten¬ 
ance,  has  ever  been  done.  The  wheels  wear  away  the  grass 
but  no  ruts  are  formed,  the  soil  being  a  grit. 


The  largest  town  between  Vernon  and  Farwell  is  Plainview,  whose  good  roads  leaders  were  among  the  most 
earnest  workers  for  a  southern  transcontinental  highway.  Its  good  hotels  and  garages  together  with  its  general 
attractiveness  make  it  a  good  place  foi  a  night  stop  on  the  transcontinental  journey. 


Lee  Highway  crossing  the  “Staked  Plains,”  boundless  as  the  ocean,  west  of  Olton,  Texas.  The  Staked  Plains  were  so  named  because 
during  the  Colonial  period  of  American  history  stakes  were  placed  at  frequent  intervals  eastward  from  Roswell,  New  Mexico,  from  a 
point  near  Comanche  Springs  across  the  Plains  to  the  Missions  of  southern  Texas,  in  order  that  the  missionaries  travelling  between 
the  missions  in  the  neighborhood  of  Old  Santa  Fe  and  San  Antonio  might  not  lose  their  way. 


[28] 


Lee  Highway,  between  Clovis  and  Portales,  New  Mexico. 


Clovis,  New  Mexico,  is  an  important  point  on  Lee 
Highway  because  of  its  fine  hotel,  the  Gran  Quivira,  and 
also  because  roads  radiate  from  Clovis  to  Tuba,  Texas, 
Oklahoma  City,  and  St.  Louis,  to  Amarillo  and  Kansas 
City,  Las  Vegas,  Sante  Fe  and  the  mountain  resorts  in  the 
Taos  region,  also  to  Albuquerque  and  points  beyond, 
including  the  Petrified  Forests  and  the  Grand  Canyon  of 
Colorado.  From  Clovis,  Lee  Highway  passes  through 
Portales,  which  like  Clovis  is  in  the  rapidly  developing 
shallow  pumping  belt.  Between  Portales  and  Roswell  the 
road  drops  down  from  the  “Staked  Plains’’  to  the  Valley 
of  the  Pecos  River,  which  is  crossed  on  a  bridge,  and  whose 
lower  reaches  in  New  Mexico  from  Roswell  to  the  Texas 
line  comprise  one  of  the  best  and  most  highly  developed 
sections  of  New  Mexico,  with  Roswell,  the  metropolis. 


One  of  the  many  beautiful  highway  vistas  in  the  vicinity  of  Roswell,  New  Mexico. 


From  Roswell  southward  for  eighty  miles,  is  an  artesian  area  from  six  to  twelve  m.les  wide,  supplying  water  which 
is  used  for  irrigation.  The  elevation  is  about  3500  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The  climate,  both  summer  and  winter,  is 
salubrious  and  the  region  is  attractive  to  the  health  seeker  and  the  home  seeker  From  Roswell  to  San  Diego,  a  dis¬ 
tance  of  more  than  a  thousand  miles,  or  one-third  of  the  entire  distance  from  Washington  to  southern  California,  Lee 
Highway  is  a  Southern  transcontinental  which  was  begun  many  years  ago,  the  leaders  in  the  movement  having  joined 
with  the  men  of  Virginia  in  the  organization  of  Lee  Highway  Association. 


[29] 


From  Roswell  to  Tularosa,  New  Mexico,  Lee  Highway  follows  the  Cabeza  De  Vaca  trail,  a  distance 
of  110  miles.  Cabeza  De  Vaca  and  a  few  others,  having  survived  the  shipwreck  of  the  Narvaez  expedition  on  the 
coast  of  Florida,  after  several  years  of  wandering  and  inexpressible  hardships,  in  1836  reached  the  Pecos  valley,  and, 
going  westward  from  where  Roswell  now  is,  finally  reached  Mexico  City,  the  first  Europeans  to  traverse  the  region 
west  of  the  Mississippi. 


Fifty  miles  west  ol  Roswell,  at  Hondo,  one  comes  to  a 
junction  point,  a  road  leading  westward  to  Lincoln,  Capi- 
tan,  Carrizozo,  Socorro  and  on  to  the  Grand  Canyon  of 
Arizona  and  Los  Angeles.  Lee  Highway  bears  southwest, 
past  San  Patricio,  Glencoe,  White  Mountain  Inn,  Mesca- 
lero,  Bent,  Tularosa,  La  Luz,  Alamogordo,  Orogrande  and 
Newman  to  El  Paso,  Texas. 

At  White  Mountain  Inn  there  is  a  most  interesting 
natural  curiosity  in  the  form  of  a  Conduit. 

The  Conduit  is  a  mile  in  length.  It  was  originally  an 
earthen  irrigating  ditch  made  by  pre-historic  Americans 
to  conduct  the  waters  of  a  spring  along  the  upper  edge 
of  a  mesa  or  table-land  for  irrigating  purposes.  The  water 
of  the  stream  is  strongly  impregnated  with  lime,  which 
being  precipitated  makes  a  coating  of  cement.  Layer 
upon  layer  was  added  until  at  last,  by  the  action  of  water, 
this  remarkable  aqueduct  was  built  up  to  a  height,  in 
places,  of  over  fifty  inches,  the  water  running  in  a  groove 
of  its  own  making.  It  is  the  most  complete  remains  of 
irrigation  by  pre-historic  people  in  North  America. 

This  remarkable  relic  of  the  Pre-Columbian  period  of 
American  History  is  on  Lee  Highway,  72  miles  west  of 
Roswell,  New  Mexico,  in  the  Ruidoso  Valley. 


Lee  Highway  crossing  the  Mescalero  Indian  Reservation  between 
the  Mescalero  Agency,  and  Tularosa,  New  Mexico.  This 
section  is  to  be  made  an  18  ft.  gravelled  road  during  the  summer 
of  1923,  entirely  at  the  expense  of  the  Federal  Government. 


Prehistoric  Rock  Remains  of  Conduit. 


Within  what  is  known  as  the  Colorado  Plateau,  includ¬ 
ing  a  large  portion  of  New  Mexico,  the  southwest  corner 
of  Colorado,  the  southern  half  of  Utah  and  practically  all 
of  Arizona,  are  found  the  remains  of  a  prehistoric  civiliza¬ 
tion,  including  the  remains  above  shown  and  the  ruins  of 
houses,  cities,  watch  towers,  fortresses  and  the  like. 
The  most  unique  of  these  are  the  Cliff  Dwellings,  a  sample 
of  which  is  seen  on  Lee  Highway  between  Globe  and 
Roosevelt  Dam,  Arizona.  These  remains  were  deserted 
when  in  1538-40  the  first  Europeans  visited  the  country. 
Their  antiquity  is  a  matter  of  conjecture. 


Section  of  Lee  Highway  between  Alamogordo,  New  Mexico, 
and  El  Paso,  Texas. 


[30] 


The  Rippling  Ruidoso,  one  of  the  beauty  spots  of  New  Mexico.  The  clear,  cool,  crystal  waters  of  the  Ruidoso  descend  from  a  thousand 
springs  in  the  northeastern  slope  of  “Sierra  Blanca,”  leaping  over  pink  granite  boulders  in  whose  shadows  lurk  the  wary  trout. 
One  of  the  beautiful  camping  places  along  Lee  Highway,  75  miles  west  of  Roswell. 


[31] 


Sierra  Blanca,  12,000  feet  elevation,  the  highest  mountain  on  Lee  Highway,  which  crosses  this  southern  range  of  the  Rockies  on  the 

eastern  slope  of  Sierra  Blanca  at  an  elevation  of  8,000  feet. 


f  32] 


THE  EL  PASO-SAN  DIEGO  SECTION  OF  LEE  HIGHWAY 


Plaza  in  the  heart  of  El  Paso,  Texas.  El  Paso  ranks  with  Roanoke,  Knoxville,  Chattanooga,  Memphis,  Little  Rock  and  Hot  Springs 
as  among  the  largest  cities  along  Lee  Highway,  it  having  the  largest  population  of  any  city  between  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  and  San 
Diego,  California.  It  is  the  gateway  to  old  Mexico.  Some  of  the  oldest  buildings  in  the  country  are  located  here  and  at  Juarez 
on  the  Mexican  side  of  the  Rio  Grande.  Lee  Highway  is  a  splendid  concrete  road  from  Newman,  New  Mexico,  nineteen  miles 
southwestward  into  El  Paso,  and  forty-four  miles  northwestward  up  the  Rio  Grande  Valley  from  El  Paso  to  Las  Cruces,  New  Mexico. 


From  El  Paso,  Texas,  to  Lordsburg,  New  Mexico,  Lee 
Highway  coincides  with  the  Borderland,  the  Southern 
National,  the  Old  Spanish  Trails  and  the  Bankhead  High¬ 
way. 


Sections  of  Lee  Highway  between  Las 
Cruces  and  Deming,  New  Mexico. 


Lee  Highway  between  Deming  and  Lordsburg,  New  Mexico. 


[33 


Lee  Highway,  Miami-Superior  Route,  Arizona. 


Leaving  Lordsburg,  New  Mexico,  Lee  Highway  enters 
Arizona,  the  route  to  Globe  being  through  Duncan,  Solo- 
monville,  Safford,  Geronimo  and  Rice. 

Lee  Highway  Association  has  designated  but  one  road 
as  Lee  Highway,  alternate  or  optional  routes  tending  to 
divide  the  activities  of  the  promoting  organization  and 
breeding  jealousy. 

Exception  has  been  made,  however,  in  one  instance. 
Between  Globe  and  Mesa,  Arizona,  Lee  Highway  is  a 
double  line,  one  by  way  of  Miami  and  Superior,  the 
other  by  Roosevelt  Dam  and  the  famous  Apache  Trail. 
Both  are  mountain-roads,  construction  was  costly,  hence 
it  was  impracticable  to  construct  a  wide  road.  Both 
roads  are  required  to  accommodate  the  large  volume  of 
travel. 


Clift'  Dwelling,  reached  by  a  short  side  trip  from  Lee  Highway 
between  Globe  and  Phoenix,  Arizona. 


The  entire  Southwest  is  so  rich  in  the  remains  of  the 
Pre-Columbian  Period  as  to  constitute  this  one  of  the 
most  interesting  sections  of  the  United  States.  It  is 
different  from  anything  to  be  seen  elsewhere.  Many  of 
these  ruins  may  be  reached  by  automobile  side-trips 
from  Lee  Highway. 


[34] 


Roosevelt  Dam,  impounding  the  waters  of  Salt  River  and  furnishing  irrigation  for  one  of  the  finest  irrigated  regions  in  the  world. 
Lee  Highway  shown  on  the  top  of  the  Dam,  travellers  following  around  the  Dam  to  the  right  to  the  hotel. 


Palm  lined  avenues,  the  type  of  architecture  and  many  other  things  seen  at  Phoenix,  Arizona,  remind  the  tourist  of  California. 


At  Phoenix  one  comes  in  contact  with  the  climate,  palms  and  architecture  and  many  other  things  that  are  better 
known  as  characteristic  of  California.  Phoenix  is  one  of  the  beautiful  cities  on  Lee  Highway,  and  a  point  from  which 
a  short  cut  tourist  route  passes  directly  by  way  of  Blythe  to  Los  Angeles.  Another  highway  reaches  Flagstaff  and  the 
beauties  of  the  Cococino  National  Park  and  the  Grand  Canyon  of  Colorado. 

From  Phoenix,  Lee  Highway  runs  westward,  then  southwestward,  crossing  the  Gila  River  at  the  Gillespie  Dam  and 
passes  through  Gila  Bend  and  Welton  to  Yuma,  Arizona. 


Yuma,  Arizona — view  from  California  side  of  Colorado  River,  showing  bridge  across  the  Colorado  and  Lee  Highway.  (See  curve  on  left.) 


[36] 


Lee  Highway  near  San  Diego,  California. 


Hi  ill  fir  iM 

!||  j|f  jj|  J  19  ©/§  Flight  by  Rockwell  Field.  A  viators  over . 


Diego,  California,  where  Lee  Highway  reaches  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


San  l)iegc 


I  37] 


212  airplanes  flying  over  the  city  at  one  time 


} 


The  Building  of  Lee  Highway 


By  Dr.  S.  M.  Johnson, 

General  Director ,  Lee  Highway  Association. 


The  story  of  the  building  of  a  southern  transcontinental  high¬ 
way  that  is  being  constructed  more  rapidly  than  any  railway 
was  built  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


The  first  step  in  the  building  of  Lee  Highway  was  taken  millions  of 
years  ago.  When  the  North  American  Continent  was  taking  shape  a  gorge 
was  formed  in  the  mountainous  region  of  what  is  now  Virginia,  seven  miles 
long  and  deep  enough  and  wide  enough  to  hide  between  its  perpendicular  walls 
of  gray  limestone  a  modern  skyscraper.  In  one  place,  however,  the  top 
stratum  of  rock  remained  undisturbed,  forming  a  natural  bridge  and  afford¬ 
ing  the  only  means  of  crossing  the  chasm.  This  is  known  the  world  around 
as  the  Natural  Bridge  of  Virginia,  the  oldest,  the  strongest  and  the  most 
beautiful  bridge  in  the  world,  over  which  Lee  Highway  passes.  Fashioned 
long  before  a  human  being  trod  the  earth,  it  was  the  first  section  of  Lee 
Highway  to  be  built.  Our  work  is  to  extend  the  roadway  provided  by  that 
bridge — southwestward  to  San  Francisco,  California,  and  northeastward  to 
New  York  City. 

The  next  step  was  taken  before  the  Revolutionary  War  and  was  con¬ 
tinued  until  the  completion  of  the  railroad  down  the  Valley  of  Virginia  to 
Bristol,  Tennessee,  in  October,  1853.  During  that  period  it  grew  from  the 
original  game  trail  and  Indian  war-path  into  a  narrow  road  for  use  by  trains  of 
pack  animals,  then  into  a  wagon-road  and  finally  became  the  great  southern 
stage  line  and  historic  road  of  the  South,  its  importance  ceasing  with  the 
advent  of  the  locomotive. 

Next  in  order  were  the  efforts  of  the  Far  Southwest  to  connect  with 
the  South  and  East  through  a  transcontinental  highway.  These  efforts  began 
thirteen  years  ago  and  account  for  the  advanced  stage  of  construction  in  New 
Mexico,  Arizona  and  California.  Disappointed  in  their  efforts  to  reach  Wash¬ 
ington  by  the  routes  which  passed  through  Richmond,  men  of  the  Southwest 
came  to  Washington  in  1918  determined  to  find  a  way  from  Memphis  across 
Tennessee  and  up  the  Valley  of  Virginia  to  Washington,  and  to  call  it  Lee 
Highway.  To  their  surprise,  they  learned  that  there  were  those  in  Virginia 
who  had  dreamed  of  Lee  Highway  and  were  about  to  take  steps  to  realize  it. 

The  man  in  Virginia  who  was  foremost  in  projecting  a  Lee  Highway  was 
Professor  D.  W.  Humphreys,  of  the  staff  of  Washington  and  Lee  University. 

The  men  of  the  Southwest,  having  learned  of  the  interest  of  Lexington, 
proposed  a  conference,  which  was  held  at  Roanoke,  Virginia,  February  22, 
1919,  attended  by  fourteen  men. 


138] 


4 


meetfnl  whW4,  wh  uf?®  3  C,0m‘^ttee  T  Plan  and  Sc0Pe  was  created  to  report  at  a  later 
formed5’  P^H  \  Roanoke,  December  3,  1919,  when  Lee  Highway  Association  was 

Parks^ar  HuraP^r,e>'s  Plan  was  ^  Lee  Highway  should  connect  the  National  Military 

a  s  at  Gemsburg  and  Chattanooga  with  an  extension,  eventually,  to  New  Orleans.  The  idea 

l  >  r^P1* uentatlVl  °m—  Southwest  was  that  Lee  Highway  should  be  transcontinental,  and 
that  it  should  cross  the  Mississippi  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and'extend  to  San  Diego,  California. 


Hotel  Roanoke,  Roanoke,  Ya.,  where  on  Washington’s  Birthday,  February  22,  1919,  fourteen  men  met  and  organized  a  provisional  Lee 
Highway  Association.  Among  them  were  the  late  Prof.  D.  W.  Humphreys  of  Lexington, Va.,  Dr.  S.  M.  Johnson  and  E.  Lee  Trinkle 
of  Wytheville,  Va.,  now  the  Governor  of  Virginia. 


The  December  3  convention  was  attended  by  about  five  hundred  men,  representing  five  States. 
By-laws  were  adopted  and  a  Board  of  Directors  chosen.  On  December  13,  at  Bristol,  Virginia- 
Tennessee,  the  Board  met  and  elected  D.  D.  Hull,  Jr.  of  Roanoke,  as  President.  On  April  21,  1920 
active  operations  began  when  I  accepted  the  office  of  General  Director. 

The  First  Year  of  Lee  Highway  Association. 

The  first  year,  therefore,  was  a  short  year,  April  21  to  December  31,  1920.  The  organization 
was  but  an  infant  in  arms.  Mr.  Hull  took  upon  himself  the  burden  of  raising  funds,  thus  I  was  free 
to  devote  myself  to  other  matters.  Effort  was  concentrated  upon  Virginia.  Of  outstanding  promi¬ 
nence  was  our  assistance  in  carrying  a  bond  issue  of  $500,000  in  Fairfax  County,  which  is  now  being 
expended  in  constructing  a  concrete  road.  We  joined  forces  with  the  Virginia  Good  Roads  Asso¬ 
ciation  in  a  campaign  resulting  in  amending  the  Constitution,  which  cleared  the  way  for  a  Highway 
Bond  Issue. 

By  N  ovember,  it  became  possible  to  take  up  the  work  in  Tennessee,  the  route  being  selected 
and  county  units  being  organized  between  Bristol  and  Knoxville.  The  income  from  April  21  to 
December  31,  1920,  was  $9,658.90,  the  outlay  $8,746.10,  with  all  bills  fully  paid. 

Lee  Highway  in  1921. 

The  year  1921  opened  with  the  first  annual  convention,  at  ^Knoxville,  which  was  well  attended 
and  full  of  interest,  the  chief  features  of  which  were  the  contest  for  the  location  of  our  route  between 
Knoxville  and  Chattanooga,  the  Sweetwater  A  alley  route  being  selected. 


[39] 


At  Knoxville  Convention  a  statement  was  made  by  the  Chairman  of  the  State  Highway  Com¬ 
mission  of  Virginia  which  resulted  in  giving  direction  to  much  of  the  effort  of  the  year.  He  stated 
that  the  route  adopted  from  Washington  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia  was  too  indirect — that  the  road 
should  go  directly  southwest  and  enter  the  Valley  at  Newmarket.  The  route  as  at  first  selected 
ran  southeast  from  Washington  to  Alexandria,  thence  northwest  to  Winchester,  thence  southwest 
to  Newmarket.  Since  a  better  route  was  suggested  by  the  authority  that  would  allocate  the  funds 
for  construction,  the  matter  was  re-opened  and  some  months  were  spent  in  a  thorough  investigation 
— then  in  organization  of  the  new  and  shorter  line  which  was  adopted.  Practically  no  financial 
support  had  been  given  the  organization  by  the  Winchester  route.  Wh  en  the  route  was  changed 
the  organization  offered  to  refund  dollar  for  dollar. 

During  the  winter  of  1921,  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee  being  in  session,  we  tried  to  utilize 
the  enthusiasm  aroused  by  the  Knoxville  convention  to  get  the  legislature  to  pass  a  State  Highway 
Bond  Bill.  1  spent  some  time  at  Nashville,  and  when  forced  to  return  to  Virginia  for  the  relocation 
of  the  Line,  Mr.  Garnett  Hedge,  Vice-President  for  Tennessee,  went  to  Nashville,  where  he  remained 
during  the  session,  reinforced  for  a  time  by  Henry  Roberts,  resulting  in  the  passage  of  the  Antici¬ 
patory  Act,  similar  to  the  Act  under  which  we  have  been  able  to  speed  construction  in  Virginia. 

At  the  Directors’  meeting  in  Chattanooga,  February  28,  1921,  Mr.  LTull’s  resignation  was 
reluctantly  accepted,  as  his  business  took  him  out  of  the  State  most  of  the  time,  and  Mr.  C.  H. 
Huston,  of  Chattanooga,  was  elected  President.  Mr.  Hull’s  administration  had  inspired  confidence. 
He  had  guided  the  organization  through  its  critical  period  and  passed  it  on  to  his  successor  in 
excellent  condition. 

Soon  after  his  election,  Mr.  Huston  was  summoned  to  Washington  to  become  Assistant  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Commerce.  It  thus  became  necessary  to  remove  headquarters  to 
Washington,  which,  considering  the  vital  necessity  of  nationalizing  the  work,  was  the  logical 
place  for  it. 

During  the  contest  for  the  location  from  Washington  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia  strong  financial 
support  was  offered  Lee  Highway  Association  by  each  of  the  competing  routes,  and  when  decision 
for  the  Warren ton-Luray  Route  was  made  the  funds  became  available  for  enlargement.  Mr. 
F.  W.  Weaver,  the  leader  in  the  movement  for  the  Luray  Route,  had  displayed  unusual  ability 
as  an  organizer,  hence  he  was  added  to  our  force  and  has  proved  to  be  one  of  our  most  valuable 
workers.  In  this  contest  as  in  every  other  the  location  was  determined  on  merit  and  given  to 
the  route  offering  the  smaller  amount  for  the  support  of  the  organization. 

At  the  organization  meeting  in  Roanoke  in  1919,  decision  had  been  reached  to  work  for  an 
extension  from  Chattanooga  to  New  Orleans  and  later  to  California.  We  had,  however,  sought 
in  vain  for  cooperation  from  New  Orleans  and  South  Texas.  Meanwhile  an  invitation  had  come 
from  the  Muscle  Shoals  Highway  Association  to  adopt  their  line  from  Chattanooga  via  Muscle 
Shoals,  Alabama,  to  Memphis,  and  during  the  summer  of  1921,  through  Thomas  B.  King  we 
received  an  invitation  from  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  every  business  organization  of  the 
city  to  cross  the  Mississippi  at  Memphis.  This  was  followed  by  an  invitation  to  adopt  the 
Memphis-to-Bristol  Highway  across  Tennessee.  We  also  received  an  invitation  from  an  organi¬ 
zation  (one  of  several  above  referred  to  which  had  for  several  years  been  working  to  develop  a 
Southern  transcontinental)  to  route  Lee  Highway  from  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  by  way  of  Durant, 
Ardmore  and  other  points  in  southern  Oklahoma  to  El  Paso,  Texas. 


Being  unwilling  to  adopt  another  than  the  New  Orleans  routing  without  making  every  possible 
effort  to  secure  it,  I  visited  Houston,  Texas,  during  the  summer  of  1921  and  conferred  with  the 
leaders  there  and  in  San  Antonio,  and  found  that  they  were  positively  against  the  routing  of  any 
other  than  the  “Old  Spanish  Trails”  through  their  cities.  Thus  ended  our  efforts  to  reach  Cali¬ 
fornia  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and  we  decided  to  investigate  the  route  by  Memphis. 


Much  of  our  effort  during  1921  was  expended  upon  Congress.  The  Federal  Road  Act  needed 
amendment.  It  permitted  use  of  federal  funds  upon  roads  of  merely  local  importance  and  failed 
to  secure  a  system  of  continuous  and  correlated  highways.  Discussion  of  the  remedy,  however, 
revealed  the  fact  that  the  advocates  of  better  roads  were  divided  into  two  groups.  One  of  these 
groups  favored  a  system  of  national  highways  to  be  selected  by  the  federal  government  whose 
treasury  was  to  bear  all  the  cost  of  construction.  The  other  group  favored  the  extension  of 
financial  assistance  to  the  States,  the  federal  government  bearing  a  portion  of  the  cost  of  construc¬ 
tion,  but  leaving  the  selection  of  the  roads  to  be  improved  and  the  work  of  construction  to  the 
States,  with  a  reserved  right  of  approval  or  rejection  of  specific  projects. 


[40] 


Positive  antagonism  between  these  groups  imperiled  further  appropriations.  We  were  active 
in  securing  a  compromise,  pointing  out  to  the  leaders  on  both  sides  that  the  things  in  which  we 
differed  were  not  to  be  compared  in  importance  with  the  things  in  which  we  agreed;  that  division 
meant  defeat,  while  cooperation  brought  results.  The  compromise  was  effected  and  embodied 
in  the  Federal  Road  Act  approved  November  9,  1921,  requiring  federal  funds  to  be  confined  to 
seven  per  cent  of  the  total  road  mileage  of  the  State.  In  recognition  of  our  part  in  this  matter  we 
were  summoned  to  the  White  House  to  see  the  President  affix  his  signature  to  the  Bill  which  goes 
farther  to  hasten  the  completion  of  Lee  Highway  and  all  other  main  trunk  lines  than  any  previous 
legislation.  Lip  to  that  time  federal  aid  had  in  many  States  been  applied  to  short  stretches  of  road 
with  little  or  no  plan  to  connect  the  centers  of  population  or  hasten  the  completion  of  those  roads 
which  when  completed  would  render  a  maximum  of  highway  service  and  enable  travel  to  pass 
freely  from  city  to  city,  from  State  to  State,  from  section  to  section,  ocean  to  ocean,  north,  south, 
east  and  west,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

In  addition  to  this  vastly  important  matter  we  continued  the  work  which  we  began  and  which 
we  have  made  a  main  concern,  securing  surplus  war  property  from  the  Federal  Government  for  the 
States  for  road-building  and  maintenance,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  American  Automobile 
Association  were  successful  in  presenting  a  reduction  of  $25,000,000  in  the  federal  aid  appropria¬ 
tion,  the  cut  having  been  ordered  by  the  Director  of  the  Budget. 

Special  attention  is  called  to  an  amendment  included  in  the  Road  Act  of  November  9,  1921, 
providing  that,  with  the  consent  of  the  State  involved,  the  Federal  Government  may  bear  the  entire 
cost  of  a  road  across  an  Indian  reservation.  This  amendment  is  due  to  the  efforts  of  our  Association 
and  the  American  Automobile  Association.  The  concrete  case  of  necessity  was  the  road  across  the 
Mescalero  Indian  Reservation  in  southern  New  Mexico,  and  lying  between  Roswell,  New  Mexico, 
to  the  northeast,  and  Alamogordo,  New  Mexico,  to  the  south.  It  is  on  this  reservation  that  Lee 
Highway  crosses  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  construction  of  this  road  with  an  eighteen  foot 
graveled  surface  during  the  next  building  season  was  made  possible  by  this  legislation.  Contract 
was  let  a  few  days  ago  for  another  road  constructed  entirely  at  the  federal  expense,  crossing  the 
Yuma  Indian  Reservation,  from  the  Colorado  River  at  Yuma,  Arizona,  in  the  direction  of  San 
Diego,  California.  These  are  two  instances  of  our  ability  to  hasten  the  construction  of  the  road. 
They  also  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  Lee  Highway  Association  is  of  positive  assistance  in  build¬ 
ing  roads  everywhere  throughout  the  country,  inasmuch  as  it  has  secured  legislation  under  which 
the  roads  that  are  most  needed  are  given  priority  and  roads  that  could  not  otherwise  have  been 
built  for  many  years  are  now  being  constructed.  Through  other  amendments  similarly  secured, 
the  construction  of  Lee  Highway  and  other  roads  within  and  across  the  National  Forests  and  other 
federalized  areas  has  been  expedited. 

The  Road  Act  of  November  9  provided  that  the  States  should  submit  maps  showing  not  to 
exceed  seven  per  cent  of  the  entire  road-mileage  of  the  State  for  federal  approval,  and  on  this 
seven  per  cent  federal  and  State  effort  should  be  expended. 

Having  secured  this  legislation,  the  next  step  in  building  Lee  Highway  was  to  select  a  route 
that  would  be  included  in  the  seven  per  cent  system.  The  President  signed  the  Bill  November  9, 
1921  and  the  day  following  I  set  out  to  inspect  the  most  feasible  route  from  Memphis  to  southern 
California,  having  in  October  inspected  the  two  proposed  routes  from  Chattanooga  to  Memphis, 
one  by  Muscle  Shoals,  the  other  by  Nashville.  I  requested  and  received  the  assistance  of  the 
U.  S.  Bureau  of  Public  Roads  and  the  several  State  Highway  Departments  in  making  the  inspec¬ 
tion.'  The  American  Automobile  Association  was  represented  on  the  trip  by  M.  O.  Eldridge,  now 
Director  of  the  Good  Roads  Board.  We  left  Memphis,  November  12,  traveling  by  automobile 
to  San  Diego,  Los  Angeles,  and  up  the  coast  to  San  Luis  Obispo,  where  we  arrived  December  3. 
The  itinerary  had  been  arranged  with  noon  and  night  meetings  in  our  Washington  office.  We  made 
our  schedule,  without  difficulty,  went  through  on  our  own  power  with  no  breakage  and  without 
discomfort.  We  inspected  onlv  routes  which  we  had  been  invited  to  inspect  by  the  Good  Roads 
organizations  and  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  on  entrance  to  California  we  were  met  by  Governor 
Stephens  and  the  representative  of  the  Chambers  of  Commerce  of  Holtville,  El  Centro,  San  Diego 
and  Los  Angeles  and  escorted  to  San  Diego.  The  activities  of  the  Association  were  thus  requested 
and  welcomed  by  a  series  of  States,  counties,  cities  and  towns  from  the  National  Capital  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  The  year  1921  closed  with  a  comfortable  balance  in  the  bank,  the  income  having 
been  $25,727.66,  the  disbursements,  $24,756.78. 


Lee  Highway  in  1922. 

The  1922  Convention  was  called  to  meet  January  18  in  Chattanooga,  but  the  date  conflicted 
with  the  date  of  the  Convention  of  the  Virginia  Good  Roads  Association  in  Richmond,  hence  we 
deferred  the  Chattanooga  meeting  one  week  and  had  charge  of  the  Lee  Memorial  services  at  Rich¬ 
mond,  January  19.  The  speaker  was  former  Governor  Charles  H.  Brough,  of  Arkansas,  whose 
eloquent  tribute  to  Lee  before  a  great  audience  gathered  from  the  entire  State  and  including  the 
Governor  and  members  of  the  Legislature  will  long  be  remembered.  His  appeal  for  Virginia’s 
support  of  the  Lee  Highway  movement  and  for  the  State  Highway  Bond  Issue  strengthened 
our  hands. 

With  delegates  from  Washington,  from  California  and  from  other  trans-Mississippi  States  as 
well  as  from  Virginia,  Tennessee,  Alabama  and  Mississippi  the  second  annual  convention  at  Chat¬ 
tanooga  was  most  successful.  Decision  was  reached  fixing  the  route  by  Memphis  and  on  to  San 
Diego,  conditioned  upon  the  road  being  placed  in  the  three  per  cent  class  of  federal  roads. 

On  February  28  the  Directors  met  in  Washington  and  located  the  road  from  Chattanooga  to 
Memphis  via  Muscle  Shoals. 

In  March  the  Governor  of  Virginia  approved  the  act  of  the  General  Assembly  placing  every 
mile  of  Lee  Highway  in  Virginia  in  the  State  Highway  System  and  pledging  cooperation  in  its  con¬ 
struction  as  Virginia’s  part  of  a  fitting  memorial  to  General  Lee. 

On  April  5,  at  the  City  Club  in  Washington,  our  Association  gave  a  dinner  to  about  200  men 
and  women,  members  of  Congress,  heads  of  National  Road  Organizations,  high  officials  of  the 
Departments  and  leading  citizens  of  Washington  and  Virginia,  thus  bringing  our  work  prominently 
before  Washington  and  the  Nation  and  paving  the  way  for  a  District  of  Columbia  unit  and  for 
financial,  moral  and  political  support  at  the  seat  of  the  federal  government. 

Midsummer  brought  a  change  in  the  Presidency.  Mr.  Huston  was  sent  to  Asia  in  the  interest 
of  the  extension  of  our  foreign  commerce,  to  be  out  of  the  country  the  remainder  of  the  year,  hence 
the  Board  of  Directors,  meeting  July  8  in  Chattanooga,  with  regret  was  forced  to  accept  his  resig¬ 
nation.  Mr.  Huston  had  given  much  thought,  time  and  directing  ability  to  the  work,  which 
expanded  greatly  during  his  Presidency. 

Henry  Roberts,  of  Bristol,  Virginia-Tennessee,  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy,  known  as  “Good 
Roads’’  Roberts,  not  merely  a  booster  but  a  builder,  having  more  miles  of  good  roads  to  show  lead¬ 
ing  out  of  Bristol  than  out  of  any  other  town  of  similar  size  in  the  country.  Mr.  Roberts  was  one 
of  the  leaders  in  organizing  the  Association  and  in  administrating  its  affairs.  He  devotes  half  his 
time  to  the  Good  Roads  Movement  and  receives  no  compensation  for  his  services. 

In  July  we  held  a  Convention  at  Lawton,  Oklahoma,  attended  by  2000  delegates  over  800  of 
whom  registered  from  points  outside  of  Comanche  County.  Strong  delegations  came  from  a  series 
of  nine  counties  in  Texas  urging  us  to  adopt  a  line  through  Vernon,  Paducah  and  Plainview  to  the 
New  Mexico  line  at  Farwell.  During  the  year  I  made  three  trips  to  the  southwest  investigating 
location  and  also  to  assist  in  arranging  federal  aid  projects. 

On  December  13  representatives  of  Oklahoma  and  Texas  appeared  before  our  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  in  Washington  and  presented  the  reasons  for  definite  and  final  location.  Our  investigation 
had  been  thorough,  the  Federal  Government  and  the  States  of  Oklahoma,  Texas  and  New  Mexico 
had  responded  to  our  request  for  assistance  in  locating  the  road  and  action  was  taken  uncondi¬ 
tionally  locating  Lee  Highway  across  the  States  of  Oklahoma,  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and 
California  to  San  Diego.  Thus  a  most  important  part  of  our  work,  selecting  the  proper  route,  is 
almost  completed.  We  have  located  across  Arkansas  through  Little  Rock,  Hot  Springs  and  De 
Queen,  but  location  through  intermediate  points  is  yet  to  be  made. 

I  he  receipts  for  the  year  1922  were  $39,262.06,  disbursements  $39,036.92. 

I  hose  who  are  responsible  for  the  Lee  Highway  movement  believe  that  Lee  Highway  could  not 
be  built  without  a  strong  organization  working  along  definite  lines  for  a  definite  end,  and  the  record 
shows  that  the  steady  increase  in  organizational  strength  has  been  accompanied  by  a  corresponding 
increase  in  the  results  accomplished.  Had  no  organization  been  formed,  Lee  Highway  would  have 
remained  a  dream.  Had  the  organization  been  a  weak  one,  with  little  money  for  its  purposes  and 
dependent  mainly  on  voluntary  effort,  little  more  than  a  beginning  would  by  now  have  been  made. 
I  he  organization  has  grown  in  less  than  three  years  to  a  commanding  position  in  national  affairs 
and  to  a  place  second  to  none  among  similar  road  organizations.  As  a  result,  Lee  Highway  is  now 
being  built  from  ocean  to  ocean  faster  than  any  railway  ever  extended  its  rails  across  the  continent. 


[42] 


When  we  began  work  Lee  Highway  in  Virginia  presented  the  aspect  of  pavement  extending 
from  each  county  seat  toward  the  next  county  seat  in  a  series  from  Washington  to  Bristol  in  some 
instances  two  or  three  county  seats  being  connected  with  pavement,  but  23  gaps  breaking  the 
continuity,  one  of  which  extended  clear  across  one  county  and  some  distance  into  the  adjoining 
county.  Now,  however,  many  of  the  gaps  are  closed  and  work  now  under  way  will  close  all  save 
one  between  Bristol  and  a  point  100  miles  from  Washington,  while  if,  as  we  expect,  the  State  Legis¬ 
lature  in  February  issues  Highway  Bonds  work  will  be  under  way  to  close  every  gap.  This  building 
season  and  the  next  is,  according  to  the  program,  to  close  all  gaps  in  all  the  States  except  Tennessee; 
and  if  the  plan  for  a  State  Bond  Issue  in  Tennessee  carries  that  State  will  not  be  behind  the  other 
States  in  closing  the  gaps. 

In  addition  to  the  building  of  Lee  Highway  our  organization  has  functioned  effectively  for  the 
whole  road  program  of  the  United  States. 

Under  legislation  due  to  our  initiative  a  total  of  almost  $200,000,000  worth  of  road  machinery 
and  equipment  has  been  shipped  by  the  Federal  Government  to  the  States  without  charge,  except 
loading  and  freight  and  the  volume  now  being  transferred  totals  about  $15,000,000  a  month. 

We  have  aided  in  carrying  county  and  State  Highway  Bond  Issues  and  in  preventing  reductions 
in  Congressional  road  appropriations  and  we  have  helped  to  secure  the  $65,000,000  of  federal  aid 
for  the  fiscal  year  beginning  next  July  and  the  $75,000,000  for  the  year  beginning  July,  1925. 

Every  mile  of  the  road  from  Washington  to  San  Diego,  3000  miles,  is  in  the  seven  per  cent 
federal  system.  Since  it  is  the  shortest  from  the  Capital  to  the  Pacific  by  300  miles,  since  it  is  a  route 
fixed  by  topography  and  since  it  contains  a  maximum  of  natural  wonders  and  other  attractions  which 
tend  to  draw  travel,  it  is  evident  that  the  Association  has  good  ground  to  expect  to  be  increasingly 
successful  in  its  work  of  building  the  road,  and  then  of  caring  for  it,  developing  it,  beautifying  it, 
enriching  it  with  monuments  and  also  in  advertising  its  attractions  and  the  inducement  offered  by 
the  zone  which  it  traverses  for  people  to  go  and  make  their  homes  and  their  fortunes  under  its 
sunny  skies. 

Three  instances  may  be  cited  to  show  the  position  that  Lee  Highway  Association  holds  in 
the  national  esteem. 


1.  The  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education  is  introducing  the  study  of  highways  in  the  elementary 
schools  of  the  country,  in  a  series  of  text  books  on  “Main  Streets  of  the  Nation.”  Lee  Highway  is 
one  of  these  “Main  Streets.” 


2.  The  Commissioners  of  the  District  of  Columbia  have  granted  permission  to  place  Lee  High¬ 
way  signs  on  the  lamp  posts  on  a  principal  thoroughfare  of  Washington,  including  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  which  connects  the  Capitol  with  the  White  House.  This  is  the  first  and  only  instance 
of  permission  being  granted  to  mark  a  highway  through  Washington. 


3.  Congress  has  created  the  “Arlington  Memorial  Bridge  Commission,”  composed  of  the  Presi¬ 
dent  the  Vice-President,  the  Speaker  of  the  House,  the  Chairman  of  the  Senate  and  House  Com¬ 
mittees  on  Public  Buildings  and  Grounds,  and  Col.  C.  O.  Sherrill,  one  of  our  Executive  Committee, 
as  Executive  Officer.  The  sum  of  $25,000  has  been  appropriated  for  plans  of  the  bridge  which  will 
be  ready  by  July.  The  bridge  will  extend  from  the  north  bank  of  the  Potomac  to  an  island  in  the 
river  and  the  space  from  the  island  to  the  Virginia  line  will  be  filled  in — the  bridge  is  to  cost  some 
ten  million  dollars  and  to  be  the  handsomest  in  the  world.  It  is  to  be  built  for  Lee  Highway  which 
is  to  be  a  great  boulevard  to  Lee  Mansion  and  Falls  Church  and  on  to  Fairfax  Court  House. 


We  have  raised  the  money  and  erected  a  granite  monument  in  Washington,  called  the  Zero 
Milestone,  the  starting-point  for  the  measurement  of  distances  on  the  highways  of  the  United 
States  On  June  5,  1923,  in  connection  with  the  Shriners  Convention  in  Washington  the  General 
Director  will  present  the  gift  to  the  Government,  the  Secretary  of  War,  presiding,  the  Secretaries  of 
Agriculture  and  Commerce  taking  part  and  President  Harding  dedicating  the  monument.  It  is 

the  starting-point  of  Lee  Highway. 


Thus  at  last  the  men  of  the  southwest  have  found  the  way  to  complete  what  they  began  many 
years  ago.  Thus  the  men  of  Virginia  by  grasping  friendly  hands  held  out  to  them  from  the  South¬ 
west  have  found  their  task  shortened  and  lightened  by  many  years,  while  all  have  found  that  in 

organized  union  there  is  strength. 


[431 


Analysis  of  Receipts  from  Membership  Dues,  Lee  Highway  Association, 

for  the  Year  1922 


ACTIVE 

District  of  Columbia 

Virginia  . 

Tennessee . 

Alabama . 

Mississippi . 

New  Mexico . 

New  Jersey . 

Maryland . 

New  York . 

Total . 

LIFE 

District  of  Columbia 

Virginia . 

Tennessee . 

Alabama . 

Total . 

SUPPORTING 

District  of  Columbia 

Virginia  . 

Tennessee . 

Louisiana . 

Total . 

FOUNDER 

District  of  Columbia 

Virginia . 

Tennessee . 

Pennsylvania . 

Total . 

MISCELLANEOUS 

District  of  Columbia 
Virginia  . 


Total 
Tennessee. . 


36  at  $5.00  per  annum  $  180.00 
400  at  $5.00  per  annum  2,000.00 
212  at  $5.00  per  annum  1,060.00 
844  at  $5.00  per  annum  4,220.00 


190  at  $5.00  per  annum  950.00 

7  at  $5.00  per  annum  35.00 

1  at  $5.00  per  annum  5.00 

1  at  $5.00  per  annum  5.00 

1  at  $5.00  per  annum  5.00 


1692  at  $5.00  per  annum 

20  at  $25.00  per  annum  $  500.00 
170  at  $25.00  per  annum  4,250.00 
99  at  $25.00  per  annum  2,475.00 
2  at  $25.00  per  annum  50.00 


291  at  $25.00  per  annum 

1  at  $125.00  per  annum  $  125.00 
13  at  $125.00  per  annum  1,625.00 
28  at  $125.00  per  annum  3,500.00 
1  at  $125.00  per  annum  125.00 


43  at  $125.00  per  annum 

1  at  $250.00  per  annum  $  250.00 
8  at  $250.00  per  annum  2,000.00 
16  at  $250.00  per  annum  4,000.00 
1  at  $250.00  per  annum  250.00 


. 26  at  $250.00  per  annum 

3  from  $10.00  to  $20.00  per  annum  $  42.50 

92  from  $1.00  to  $25.00  per  annum  1,072.50 


19  at  $  50.00  per  annum .  950.00 

1  at  $  62.50  per  annum .  62.50 

1  at  $  70.50  per  annum .  70.50 

2  at  $  75.00  per  annum .  150.00 

5  at  $100.00  per  annum .  500.00 

1  at  $150.00  per  annum .  150.00 

1  at  $500.00  per  annum .  500.00 


125 . 

.  10  from  $7.00  to  $25.00  per  annum  $  105.00 

4  at  $  30.00  per  annum .  120.00 

4  at  $  50.00  per  annum .  200.00 

10  at  $  62.50  per  annum .  625.00 

8  at  $  75.00  per  annum .  600.00 

1  at  $150.00  per  annum .  150.00 

1  at  $160.00  per  annum .  160.00 


Total . 38 .  $ 

Alabama . 2  at  $10.00  per  annum  $  20.00  $ 

California . 1  at  $100.00  per  annum  100.00  $ 

UNCLASSIFIED 


(From  newly  organized  Western  States,  classified  list  not  yet  received) 

Oklahoma . 

Texas . 


8,460.00 


7,275.00 


5,375.00 


6,500.00 


3,498.00 


1,960.00 

20.00 

100.00 

175.00 

2,140.00 


Total  receipts  from  membership  dues 


$35, 503.00 


D.  D.  Hull,  Jr.,  of  Roanoke,  Va.,  Vice  President  of  the 
Virginia  Iron,  Coal  and  Coke  Co.,  and  First  President 
of  Lee  Highway  Association,  whose  liberal  support  and 
wise  direction  established  the  Association  on  a  firm 
foundation. 


C.  H.  Huston,  Assistant  Secretary  U.  S.  Departmental 
Commerce,  Washington,  D.  C.,  Second  President  of 
Lee  Highway  Association,  during  whose  term  the  Asso¬ 
ciation  assumed  national  proportions. 


Henry  Roberts,  President  of  Lee  Highway  Association, 
Bristol,  Va.-Tenn.,  known  as  “Good  Roads’’  Roberts. 


Col.  C.  O.  Sherrill,  Washington,  D.  C.,  Military  Aide  to 
President  Harding,  Secretary  and  Executive  Officer  of 
the  Arlington  Memorial  Bridge  Commission,  and  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  Lee  Highway  Asso¬ 
ciation. 


[45] 


Words  of  Greeting  from  the  Two  Former  Presidents  and  the 
Pr  ESIDENT  OF  Lee  HIGHWAY  ASSOCIATION 

From  D.  D.  Hull ,  Jr. ,  President  Roanoke,  Va. 

from  December  13 ,  1919 ,  to  February  28,  1920.  January  23,  1923 

As  the  time  for  holding  the  Third  Annual  Convention  draws  near,  I  am  glad  to  join  Mr.  Huston 
and  Mr.  Roberts  in  a  word  of  greeting  and  encouragement  to  the  officers  and  members  of  Lee 
Highway  Association.  Those  who,  like  myself,  were  with  the  organization  when  it  began  to  func¬ 
tion  are  gratified  that  the  movement  which  was  at  first  a  Virginia  enterprise,  then  a  Virginia- 
Tennessee  undertaking,  then  a  Washington  to  Memphis  effort,  has  now  become  national  in  scope, 
and  all  within  less  than  three  years. 

The  success  of  the  movement  is  due  in  no  small  degree  to  the  sentiment  of  respect,  admiration 
and  love  for  General  Robert  E.  Lee. 

Another  reason  for  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Association  is  the  spirit  of  the  times.  This  is  the 
Motor  Age.  The  rapid  transit  highway  vehicle  has  come,  it  is  nearly  one  hundred  per  cent  efficient, 
and  there  are  over  12,000,000  of  them  in  use.  The  spirit  of  the  age,  however,  cannot  find  full 
expression,  and  progress  is  retarded  by  the  fact  that,  speaking  generally,  roads,  bridges  and  cul¬ 
verts  built  for  buggies  and  wagons  are  not  adapted  to  the  modern  rapid  transit  vehicle,  with  a 
resultant  reduction  of  efficiency  to  less  than  forty  per  cent.  This  entails  a  heavy  economic  loss 
and  a  drag  on  progress  that  enterprising  communities  will  not  endure. 

Lee  Highway  Association,  while  concentrating  on  a  single  line,  cooperates  with  other  road 
organizations  in  the  program  to  substitute  modern  for  obsolete  roads  everywhere.  The  results 
it  has  secured,  in  national  legislation  and  especially  in  salvaging  from  our  war  effort  of  two  hundred 
million  dollars’  worth  of  surplus  war  property  in  the  shape  of  motor  trucks,  tractors  and  other 
road  machinery  and  equipment,  now  in  commission  in  every  State  and  county  of  the  Union,  have 
convinced  everyone  that  Lee  Highway  Association  is  a  vital  factor  in  National  progress,  and, 
therefore,  worthy  of  support. 

A  third  reason  for  the  popularity  of  the  Association  is  the  character  of  the  road  whose  con¬ 
struction  it  is  hastening. 

It  is  composed  of  a  series  of  locally  important  roads  joined  together  so  as  to  form  a  cross 
continent  line  of  travel  by  a  direct  route  through  one  of  the  most  interesting,  rapidly  developing 
and  historically  and  scenically  beautiful  sections  of  the  country;  its  Washington-Chattanooga 
section  affording  a  direct  line  between  the  North  and  Florida  and  the  Gulf  Coast  resorts,  and  in 
its  entirety  constituting  an  all-year  route  between  the  Atlantic  seaboard  States  and  southern 
California. 

A  fourth  reason  for  Lee  Highway  growth  is  that  the  principles  upon  which  the  organization 
was  founded  and  to  which  it  has  steadily  adhered  are  such  as  to  inspire  the  confidence  of  the  business 
element. 

Finally,  the  Association  has  both  given  and  secured  the  cooperation  of  the  Federal,  the  State 
and  the  county  road  building  agencies  and  the  National  road  organizations,  such  as  the  American 
xVutomobile  Association,  etc. 

We  who  started  the  work  believed  it  should  be  strongly  financed.  Experience  has  confirmed 
this  view  and  clearly  indicates  the  path  to  ever  widening  influence  through  ever  increasing  financial 
strength. 

D.  D.  H  ull,  Jr., 

First  President  of  Lee  Highway  Association 

From  C.  H.  Huston ,  President  Washington,  D.  C. 

from  February  28,  1920,  to  July  8,  1922.  Jan.  23,  1923 

Just  a  word  of  greeting  to  the  officers,  members  and  supporters  of  the  Lee  Highway  Association. 

Upon  my  return  to  Washington  I  was  pleased  to  know  of  the  good  work  you  are  doing  and  to 
find  that  your  plans  are  developing  along  constructive  lines.  The  Lee  Highway  is  becoming  very 
familiar  to  the  masses  in  this  country  and  its  Managing  Director  is  spoken  of  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  all  those  who  come  in  contact  with  him. 

Sincerely  yours, 

C.  H.  H  USTON, 

Assista?7t  Secretary  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Commerce  and  Fanner  President  of  Lee 
Highway  Association. 


[461 


Greetings  from  President  Henry  Roberts 

During  three  years  of  careful  investigation  by  the  officers  and  thoughtful  consideration  by  the 
Directors  and  Executive  Committee,  the  route  for  the  Lee  Highway  (except  as  to  details  across 
Arkansas),  has  been  determined  from  Washington  to  San  Diego.  The  distance  is  3000  miles,  300 
miles  less  than  any  other  trans-continental  highway.  Every  mile  is  embraced  in  the  7%  interstate 
and  state  system  provided  for  by  the  Federal  Road  Act,  and  every  section  of  Lee  Highway  is  thus 
in  line  to  receive  State  and  Federal  aid. 

I  he  United  States  Bureau  of  Education  is  introducing  the  teaching  of  Lee  Highway  as  one 
of  the  ‘Main  Streets  of  the  Nation”  in  the  schools  of  the  48  states  and  District  of  Columbia. 
I  he  Commissioners  of  the  City  of  Washington  have  authorized  Lee  Highway  signs  to  be  attached 
to  the  light-standards  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  The  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  has  incor¬ 
porated  Lee  Highway  into  the  State  Highway  System  and  is  constructing  and  maintaining  the 
road  from  Washington  to  Bristol  “for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  perpetual  memorial  from  the 
people  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  and  as  a  part  of  the  National  Memorial  to  Robert  Edward 
Lee.”  The  State  Highway  Department  has  marked  Lee  Highway  through  Virginia  by  painting 
symbols  on  poles  and  bridges. 

As  the  Appian  Way  and  twenty-eight  other  great  highways  radiated  from  the  golden  mile¬ 
stone  in  Imperial  Rome  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  civilized  world  and  afforded  transportation 
for  the  civilization  that  boasted  of  the  “Grandeur  that  was  Rome,”  so  Lee  Highway  starts  at  the 
Zero  Milestone  in  Washington  erected  by  our  Association  and  crosses  the  Continent  over  the 
richest  domain  of  America!  It  is  our  duty  and  privilege  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  highway  and 
civilization  which  will  last  through  time. 

With  full  realization  of  this  duty  and  privilege,  the  Officers,  Directors  and  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Lee  Highway  Association,  where  practical,  have  selected  the  most  direct  route 
available  for  Lee  Highway.  More  important  than  this,  they  have  selected  a  route  traversing 
great  natural  resources,  to  which  a  rich  territory  is  tributary.  It  is  not  only  the  purpose  of  Lee 
Highway  Association  to  build  and  develop  Lee  Highway,  but  also  to  develop  the  Lee  Highway 
Zone,  and  to  make  Lee  Highway  the  center  of  the  greatest  civilization  in  the  world.  Therefore, 
the  route  selected  brings  into  panoramic  view  broad  plains,  beautiful  streams,  noble  rivers,  fertile 
valleys,  rolling  hills,  and  towering  mountains.  Great  engineering  achievements  in  the  construc¬ 
tion  of  bridges,  dams  and  industrial  plants  are  seen  in  contrast  with  the  mighty  handiwork  of  the 
Almighty.  The  agricultural,  live  stock  and  industrial  development  along  Lee  Highway  are 
indicative  of  a  prosperous  and  progressive  people.  The  diversified  resources  attract  the  home 
builder.  The  springs,  streams  and  mountains  in  the  panorama  invite  the  people  of  our  country 
to  travel  Lee  Highway  for  recreation.  The  scenery  is  inspiring.  The  historic  spots  arouse 
patriotic  interest. 

It  is  indeed  a  delightful  service  in  which  the  Officers,  Directors  and  members  of  Lee  Highway 
Association  are  engaged.  Now  that  the  route  is  so  well  selected,  let  us  go  forward  with  a  great 
construction  program  during  the  year  1923.  Let  Virginia  lead  by  authorizing  the  $12,000,000 
bond  issue,  based  upon  the  one-cent-per-gallon  gasoline  tax,  at  the  special  session  of  the  General 
Assembly  to  convene  February  28,  1923,  making  it  possible  to  let  contracts  for  the  construction  of 
all  the  gaps  in  Lee  Highway  and  the  other  important  State  highways  in  \  irginia  during  1923. 
Let  the  Tennessee  Legislature  follow  with  the  $75,000,000.00  bond  issue,  and  build  the  gaps  in 
Lee  Highway  in  Tennessee  and  the  entire  State  Highway  System  at  once.  Let  Alabama  and 
Mississippi  fall  in  line  and  complete  Lee  Highway  to  Memphis.  I  hen  let  Arkansas,  Oklahoma, 
Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  California  complete  the  Highway  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  so  that 
the  year  may  be  closed  with  all  unfinished  gaps  under  construction  along  the  entire  length  of  Lee 
Highway. 

This  can  be  largely  done  if  every  member  of  Lee  Highway  Association  will  actively,  persistently 
and  intelligently  cooperate  with  the  Officers  and  Directors  of  the  Association  and  with  the  State 
and  local  road  authorities  to  accomplish  this  end. 


[47] 


The  annual  report  of  the  General  Director,  outlining  the  work  of  the  Association  from  its 
beginning  through  1922,  and  the  financial  report  for  1922,  show  faithful  work  by  the  employed 
officers  of  the  Association,  reflect  credit  upon  the  organization,  and  merit  careful  consideration. 

We  must  ever  keep  in  mind  the  fundamental  purpose  and  principles  and  policies  of  Lee 
Highway  Association.  Our  purpose  is  to  build  a  perpetual  National  memorial  to  General  Robert 
Edward  Lee.  We  must  see  to  it  that  the  Association  is  strongly  financed,  and  that  its  activities 
are  kept  within  the  limits  of  its  income,  and  that  no  obligation  is  incurred  without  sufficient  funds 
to  promptly  meet  it.  All  disbursements  must  be  based  upon  itemized  statements,  no  commission 
or  bonus  paid  to  anyone  for  any  purpose,  and  the  financing  must  be  continued  on  a  four  year  basis 
in  order  that  the  work  may  be  planned  in  advance  and  vigorously  and  intelligently  conducted. 
The  personnel  of  the  working  force  must  be  of  the  highest  type. 

The  route  is  selected,  the  organization  is  working  smoothly,  and  the  deck  is  cleared  for  action. 
Let  every  member  of  Lee  Highway  Association  buckle  on  his  armour  of  courage  and  energy  and 
work  for  Lee  Highway  as  a  great  life  service! 

Bristol,  Virginia-Tennessee  Henry  Roberts,  President. 

January  6 ,  1923 


Distribution  of  Surplus  War  Materials ,  Equipment  and  Supplies. 

From  Report  of  T.  H.  McDonald,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Public  Roads. 

One  of  the  most  helpful  services  rendered  to  the  States  has  been  the  distribution  of  road¬ 
building  machinery,  equipment,  and  supplies  from  the  surplus  war  material  of  the  Army.  The 
material,  thus  distributed,  has  enabled  many  of  the  States  to  organize  and  equip  maintenance 
divisions  to  patrol  the  entire  State  road  system.  Approximately  $190,000,000  worth  of  property, 
including  30,000  motor  vehicles,  has  been  distributed. 

The  largest  item  of  these  surplus  materials  delivered  during  the  past  year  is  made  up  of  shop 
machinery  and  shop  tools  and  equipment,  the  distribution  of  which  has  enabled  the  several  State 
highway  departments  to  equip  shops  in  which  motor  vehicles  and  other  motor-driven  machinery, 
also  received  from  the  Government,  have  been  reconditioned  and  repaired.  This  shop  machinery 
consists  in  the  main  of  lathes,  tool  grinders,  milling  nachines,  cutting  machines,  planers,  drill 
presses,  and  electric  motors. 

Other  major  items  received  from  the  War  Department’s  surplus  include  the  following,  ap¬ 
proximately  in  the  quantities  noted: 


80-pound  relaying  rail  (tons) .  25,000 

25-pound  industrial  rail  (tons) .  10,000 

Motor  vehicles,  including  1,118  Dodge  touring  cars  and  light  delivery  trucks .  5,000 

Picric  acid  (pounds) .  12,500,000 

TNT  (pounds) . .  8,000,000 

Sodium  nitrate  (pounds) .  24,000,000 

Ammonium  nitrate .  5,000,000 


Of  the  picric  acid  received,  approximately  8,000,000  pounds  have  already  been  distributed. 
The  explosive  as  received  from  the  War  Department  is  put  up  in  cartridges  similar  to  commercial 
dynamite  and  shipped  to  the  States  for  road-building  and  land-clearing  purposes  at  6  cents  per 
pound  f.  o.  b.  Fort  Wingate,  N.  Mex.,  Sparta,  Wis.,  and  Edgewood  Arsenal,  Md. 

The  following  table  shows  the  value  of  surplus  war  materials  actually  received  by  the  State 
highway  departments  and  the  Department  of  Agriculture  up  to  June  30,  1922,  by  Lee  Highway 
States: 


Total  value 

State  of  material 

delivered. 

Alabama .  $2,352,057 

Arizona...  2,436,823 

Arkansas .  2,376,257 

California .  4,463,014 

Delaware .  419,263 

Maryland .  1,674,163 

Mississippi .  2,994,715 

New  Jersey .  2,128,130 

New  Mexico .  2,148,374 

New  York .  7,874,065 

Oklahoma .  2,692,467 

Pennsylvania .  4,528,909 

Tennessee .  3,938,101 

Texas . r .  7,855,378 

Virginia . . 3,270,993 

Retained  by  Department  ot  Agriculture  for  Forest  Roads,  etc .  10,473,750 


THE  WHITE  HOUSE 

WASHINGTON 

5  January,  1921 

My  dear  doctor  Johnson: 

It  gives  me  real  pleasure  to  express  my 
interest  in  the  association  of  which  you  are  the 
General  Director.  It  is  certainly  most  appropriate 
that  there  should  be  a  national  memorial  to  General 
Lee.  It  is  one  of  the  happy  circumstances  of  our 
national  life  that  the  bitterness  of  the  Civil  War 
has  disappeared  and  that  General  Lee  is  now  recog¬ 
nized  as  a  man  worthy  of  the  admiration  of  the  whole 
nation.  Certainly  his  heart  was  true  to  the  nation, 
and  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  heal  the  wounds  which 
were  made  by  the  bitter  civil  strife  in  which  he  was 
obliged  to  take  part. 

It  is  a  happy  old  saying  that  sectional 
lines  are  obliterated  only  by  the  feet  that  cross 
them,  and  this  great  highway  should  contribute  to 
that  much-to-be-iesired  result. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

Dr.  S.  M.  Johnson, 

The  Lee  Highway  Association. 


The  Falls  of  Yosemite 


At  Washington,  D.  C.,  highways  converge  from 
every  town  and  city  of  over  5000  inhabitants  in  all 
New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Delaware, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  parts  of  Ohio.  Lee 
Highway  is  the  transit  line  for  travellers  over  these 
roads  to  the  eastern  playground  of  America,  the 
Highlands  of  the  South,  extending  from  Washington 
to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  and  including  the  Blue 
Ridge  and  Unaka  Range  on  the  one  hand  and  the 
Allegheny-Cumberland  on  the  other.  Lee  Highway 
is  also  the  shortest  route  to  San  Diego  from  the  con¬ 
verging  point  of  all  these  highways  at  Washington. 

At  San  Diego  Lee  Highway  connects  with  a  system 
of  roads  leading  to  all  points  in  California,  Oregon 
and  Washington,  including  everything  in  this  mag¬ 
nificent  playground  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

The  closing  up  of  all  remaining  gaps  and  the  open¬ 
ing  of  this  all-year  line  of  travel  has  been  undertaken 
by  Lee  Highway  Association  and  is  receiving  the 
support  of  all  the  states,  counties,  towns  and  cities 
between  Washington  and  San  Diego. 


Capt.  Bernard  McMahan,  who  is  organizing  the  transcontinental  convoy 
to  the  Shriners’  Convention  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  June,  1923 


